Carvings
by Artemis-chan of Redwing
Summary: Red vs Blue! Church and Tex find an interesting carving on a rock in Blood Gulch which leads to some questions about their teammates. SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This evolved out of a discussion on the RvB forums. I blame it all on Tomeka-chan! I might put up an epilogue if there's enough of a demand, kids. Therefore, if you'd like more, review and let me know!

**Carvings**

"Church, what the hell is this?" Tex stared at the initials carved into the rock outside of the base, wondering just when her boyfriend had had the romantic inclinations (and time) to carve them into the rock.

"What the hell is what?" said boyfriend asked, exiting the base.

"This." She indicated the rock, which proudly declared "C+T" inside of a crudely drawn heart. Church stared incredulously, his brow furrowing.

"I didn't do that. I mean, I love you Tex, but not _that_ much." He glanced at her, knowing he might be treading on thin ice. "Anyway, I'd use our first names. We're not the only C and T over here…" His voice trailed off as he registered what he was saying.

Tex followed his thoughts. "You don't think…"

Church shook his head violently. "No way! I mean, all Tucker ever talks about is girls. There's no way…" Tex nodded her agreement, breathing a small sigh of relief. The pair stood in silence in the heat of Blood Gulch, contemplating the letters carved into the rock. That is, until a voice from the base interrupted their thoughts.

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"Leave me alone, Caboose! It was just a kiss, okay? It doesn't mean anything!" Tucker was breathing heavily, his helmet off. Caboose's expression was pained, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Th-then why…?" The rookie's voice was soft and trembling, something Tucker was not used to hearing.

Tucker sighed, running his hand through his hair and turning his back to the rookie, not quite ready to face him. "Because…because…I don't know, Caboose. Just…forget about it." The sky was clear, as usual, he noted, thinking about anything except his teammate. Without another word Tucker jumped down from the top of the base, leaving Caboose.

Tex and Church exchanged glances on the ramp. "This could be bad," Church murmured. Tex sighed and nodded, looking at Caboose's forlorn figure. She walked over to him, feeling her motherly protectiveness come to the surface, something that didn't happen very often.

"Caboose, what happened?" The rookie merely looked at her, tears trickling down his cheeks as he took shaky breaths.

"I…I really don't know…" he trailed off, his head turning in the direction of his departed teammate.

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Tex found Tucker sitting by his rock. "What the hell did you do to him?" she asked, her voice a little less harsh than it might have been half an hour previous. The dark-haired young man sighed, eyes closed as he leaned back against the rock.

"I kissed him, okay?" he said after a few moments. One eye cracked open, looking at the freelancer. "I don't know why. I just did it, and now he thinks there's something, and I can't explain to him that there's not."

Tex closed her eyes and took a deep breath in a futile attempt to quell her rage. "Did you ever once think about Caboose's feelings? Right now he's trying not to cry in front of Church because he thinks you hate him! Maybe…maybe you kissed him for a reason," she finished softly. Tex looked at him in silence for another moment and then turned, walking calmly back to the base. Tucker hesitantly lifted his head as she walked away, confused by the freelancer's behavior.

'_What's Tex doing?_' he wondered. '_Is she really concerned about Caboose? That didn't sound like her normal bitching._' His mind fell silent of actual words for a bit. When the words returned, Tucker's thoughts were on a different teammate. '_Caboose is…sweet. Stupid, usually, but he means well. And…_' he sighed to himself, '_I was getting jealous when Caboose was so focused on being Church's best friend. The…attention…was nice, I guess, but…I…kinda wanted him to…look at me…like that._' It was a lot to admit, even to himself, and the admission left him feeling…sad.

"I guess I really did hurt his feelings," the teal-clad soldier said to himself. "I…I guess I should go find him." He sighed, running a hand through his dark brown hair, noting briefly how long it had gotten in the short time he'd been in Blood Gulch. '_Caboose's has been growing out too…_'

------

Tucker found the subject of his many confusing thoughts only after a good hour of searching. The weather had been steadily growing worse, heavy clouds roiling in the sky. Tucker shivered, anticipating the cold rain, knowing his armor wouldn't be the best insulation from the wet.

It was in his search for shelter that he found Caboose tucked away in a small cavern in the side of the canyon. The blond rookie was curled up against the rocks, almost hidden from view, and he was…shivering?

"Caboose? Are you okay?" Suddenly, Tucker didn't care about anything but his teammate's physical condition. A niggling voice in the back of his head wondered just why. '_Because things at the base will be hell if he's not_,' came the answering thought. Ah, but since when do you care? '_Since…oh, fuckberries._'

The thoughts broke off when Caboose jumped up, a fearful look in his eyes. His helmet was on the floor next to him and looked like it had been for a while. He tried to back up but found his back literally against the wall. "Whyyyyy are you…here?"

Tucker took a step towards Caboose, only to have the other scrunch back as though he were trying to melt into the stone. "Caboose…I was worried." The blond showed no signs of believing the dark-haired man. "And…I need to talk to you."

"I think we've done all the talking we need to do, Tucker." Caboose's voice was…well, cold was the word he wanted to use, but Caboose's voice was never cold…was it? Tucker shook his head, to clear it and refute the statement.

"I did some thinking, okay? I think I know why I…kissed you." He took a breath and sighed. "I just…I can't say it now. At least…not yet."

"Then when will you say it?" There was still an edge to the rookie's voice which made Tucker wince as he plopped down on the ground, the storm raging outside of the cavern.

"I…I don't know. I kinda want it to be soon, though." Tucker's eyes are hopeful, his gaze turned to his teammate. "I don't want you to be afraid of me, Caboose. I don't think I could stand it."

Now it was Caboose's turn to sigh and sit on the floor at what he considered a middle distance from both Tucker and the back wall of the cavern. "Can you…take off your helmet, Tucker?" Confused a bit, the soldier did as he was asked, albeit hesitantly.

Tucker ran a hand through his hair, freeing it from its matted position against his head. His gaze caught Caboose's unwavering one. It seemed that the rookie was scrutinizing his face, his expression one Tucker was unused to seeing, at least on the blond. On Church or Tex…well, that was another story. That pair were by nature suspicious bastards. Caboose, though…Caboose was trusting, almost to a fault. It was something Tucker had used to his advantage several time. '_And recently, too_,' he thought with a start.

He made a motion to speak, but there was something about the way Caboose was looking at him that made him stop. The pair sat in silence, the only sound the pounding of the rain and occasional crack of thunder outside. Tucker shivered a little, feeling the chill damp start to seep through his armor. He glanced out of the entrance to the cave, rubbing his hands up and down his arms to rub down the goose bumps. When he turned back to Caboose, the other soldier had moved and was now right next to him.

Tucker nearly jumped. "Shit, Caboose! What're you doing?" He tried desperately to calm his heart; it was beating loud and fast, and he was sure Caboose could hear it.

Caboose proceeded to give Tucker a look like he was an idiot. "You're cold," he said, nodding at the teal-clad soldier's hands on his arms.

"Yes, and…what? It's not like you've got any blankets hidden up your sleeve." Tucker felt an acute sense of disappointment hit him. '_Who am I kidding? This is Caboose._' The subject of his thoughts didn't say anything. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Tucker's torso, hauling the other soldier against his body.

"I have body heat," the blond mumbled, his face turning an interesting red-ish hue. Tucker found himself unable to respond, too busy taking in the sensation of sitting in Caboose's lap, armored though they both still were.

"I…uh…thanks," he finally managed after several long moments of silence. Tucker became aware, in the following period of silence from Caboose, of the intensity of his heartbeat. He was positive the rookie could hear it by now. A question, however, bubbled to the top of his mind, pushing its way through his jumbled thoughts.

"Caboose? Why are you doing this?" Tucker's voice was soft, almost tentative, as he shifted slightly to look at the rookie's face. Caboose wouldn't meet his eyes, and his cheeks were a pale pink.

"I…I care…about…you." The words, while very soft, hit Tucker like a truck.

"You do?" Caboose just nodded, unable to look up from the floor. Tucker was surprised. Very few people had cared about him over the course of his life, and he'd forgotten what it felt like. He felt a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks."

Caboose's head slowly lifted, an innocent, almost childlike smile of happiness gracing his features. Impulsively he leaned forward, his lips crashing with Tucker's as his arms tightened around Tucker's torso.

Tucker found himself responding before he could quite register what was happening as he turned more to face Caboose and leaned into the kiss. When it did register what he was doing, he froze.

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Church was pacing, and it was giving Tex a headache. Very slowly, she took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head. "Church, what the Hell are you doing?" Her voice was strained, as though she were trying rather hard not to hit him.

The cobalt-clad soldier jumped at his girlfriend's voice, effectively halting his pacing. "I…" His hand reached up and rubbed at the back of his head. "I'm worried about Caboose and Tucker. They've both been gone for a while." It wasn't something he liked to admit, worrying about his teammates.

Tex sighed, her eyes unconsciously looking in the direction she had seen Tucker take when he left. "All we can do is be patient. They've got to work this out between them." She tossed a smirk at Church. "We did, didn't we?" Church rolled his eyes and nodded, inwardly praying that the rest of Blue Team wouldn't have to go through what he did with Tex. His attention returned to the canyon as dusk began to fall, waiting for any sign of the remainder of his team.

---------

Caboose quickly pulled back, his eyes wide and almost…frightened? Tucker couldn't even comprehend his own thoughts, let alone those of the young man whose lap he was occupying. '_I…Caboose…we just…we did, didn't we? Oh man…_' His eyes closed as Tucker took several deep breaths. He didn't open them as he started to speak.

"Caboose?" There was a slight shifting beneath him as the younger soldier's arms loosened their grip on him. No verbal answer. "You can't hide from me here, Caboose. I just…" He trailed off, not sure of his words, and opened his eyes to find Caboose looking apprehensively at him, unconsciously biting his lower lip.

'_Oh, hell._' Tucker gave in and softly kissed Caboose, a quick kiss that lasted only a second. He pulled back only a bit, enough to look into the blond's eyes. Caboose, he noted, looked, well, happy. There was a small smile on the other's lips, one that gave Tucker the urge to kiss him again.

"The fuck are we doing, Caboose?" The words escaped before he'd really thought about them, though his tone was soft and resigned rather than upset or angry. Caboose shrugged, that small smile still on his face.

"Being happy," the blond offered softly, his arms readjusting their grip. Tucker looked away from him, trying to realign his thoughts. That was when he noticed the lack of sunlight, however faint through the storm. And he stared.

"There is no way we're getting back to base tonight," Tucker murmured, his gaze still on the mouth of the cave. He was taken by surprise, then, when Caboose somewhat forcefully set him on the ground and stretched out next him, his arms still firmly around Tucker's middle. Tucker looked at him with one eyebrow questioningly raised, but did as Caboose had and laid out on the chill ground, Caboose pressed against his back and warmth radiating from the rookie.

All in all, Tucker realized, things could have definitely been a lot worse. His eyes were drooping, and slowly, quietly, sleep stole over him as he concentrated on the smooth rhythm of Caboose's breathing.

_To Be Continued…Maybe?_


	2. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Tuuuuuckerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

The young man whose name was called glanced up from where he was playing cards with Church. A sheepish expression stole over his face as he turned back to his companion. Church merely grinned at him.

"Looks like I've got to go," Tucker said, a slight flush appearing on his cheeks. Church looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"You're more whipped than I am," the cobalt-clad soldier ribbed his friend. Tucker couldn't help but laugh a little at that. He knew that Church put on a tough front to hide the fact that he was totally devoted to Tex, a fact that definitely would have surprised their enemies.

"You know how Caboose is if I keep him waiting," said Tucker as an apology as he stood, stretching. Church smirked at the teal-clad soldier.

"Only because we can hear him from all the way over here." Tucker had the decency to blush, remembering the last time he had kept Caboose waiting. The rookie had been practically hysterical with worry, in his own way, and rather vocal about it. With a wave to Church he exited the building, walking to where he could see Caboose waiting for him.

Tucker waited until he was fairly close to call out to the rookie. "Hey, Cab-" His greeting was interrupted by Caboose's rather sudden rush to him and subsequent kiss. Tucker's eyes closed as his arms wound automatically around Caboose's torso, returning the kiss for a few moments. Caboose's lips moved hungrily against his, and Tucker felt himself beginning to succumb to the emotions (and hormones) rising within him. Eagerly he pressed against the rookie, his body aching for contact.

Caboose, however, seemed to have a different idea. He disentangled his lips from Tucker's and slowly started suckling his way down the teal soldier's neck, his hands, surprisingly deft, unbuckling Tucker's armor.

The snaps of the armor coming undone cut through Tucker's consciousness like a knife. He weakly pulled away from Caboose's very convincing advances. "Caboose," he panted, feeling a bit short of breath, "we need to move. Can't stay here." Somehow the thought that they were in clear view of the base made itself evident in those few words. The next thing Tucker knew, Caboose had thrown him over one shoulder and was trucking it for the cave.

From the base, Tex watched, without help of the sniper rifle. "Looks like they're heading out to the cave again," she called back to Church. "At it like rabbits again." She failed to hear her boyfriend coming up behind her, and as such was slightly startled when his arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.

"C'mon, Alison," he murmured in her ear. "Let's go inside." Tex, surprised that he used her first name, smiled softly as she followed him inside the base for a bit of alone time.

-Fin

**AN:** As requested, I hope you all enjoyed the epilogue here. Suggestions and/or fic ideas can be emailed or sent in reviews. Have fun, kids!


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